A Evening of SOS's

SOS was an e-mail that popped up in my inbox at 5:05 yesterday. The Kentucky newsroom was having e-mail problems and my editor didn't have access to three articles I did. There were three holes in the paper where they should be. I shot him a quick e-mail, called and confirmed he got it. Problem solved. He e-mailed back:

I say this with total confidence in my heterosexuality: I love you.

I plan on using that as a reference. Two of the stories ran today. They are here and here. Nice variety in my work.

So I met the family at the gym and they had their own SOS. They daycare people didn't show. I did about 15 minutes on the elytical and then left The Divine Mrs. M to her sweat it out.

I brought the girls back and let them play with the Martinez girls girls down the street. About 8:00 I called them in. Harper didn't bring her shoes back I sent her back up the street. Checked on her a few minutes later and an ambulance was in front of the Martinez's house.

Lump in gut - saw the youngest Martinez and Harper running back to my house. "My aunt said to stay with you," said Selena. No problem. The Divine came walking up the street having been blocked by the ambulance. She watched the girls while I investigated. Her anglo grandma had had a heart attack. The paramedics worked on her. The only other adult was the "aunt" - tia - whose English was only slighly better than my Spanish. I muttered out some pigeon Spanish. Necissito ayuda? Selena es en mi casa. Es vale? And later. Selena dorme en mi casa? Si, yes, ok

Selena spent the night. I just handed her off to dad at 2.

Selena is six or seven. Seems like a happy kid. Doesn't speak much Spanish herself so no help there.

One of the sadiest thing I'd heard: Selena nodded to the ambulance and got an uncharacteristically harsh look on her face. She said, "They took my mom to the hospital in one of those and wouldn't let me see her. Then she was dead."

Mom had died a couple years ago.

Stay You.
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